Electric siwtch box latch and handle



NOV- 1, 1932- H. J. HAMMERLY ELECTRIC SWITGH BOX LATCH AND HANDLE Filed Oct. l0, 1951 INVENTOR u :u I nun Hermalzjff meufy,

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 tain HERMAN J'. HAMMERLY, 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR TO THE TRUIVI- BULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNIELC'IICUT,` A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC SWITCH BOX LATCH AND HANDLE Application filed October 10, 1931. Serial No.' 568,024.

My invention relates particularly to what are sometimes called safety switches and especially to the fuse door and latch for such a switch.

Such switches are usually mounted on the wall and it is quite desirable to provide a cover portion or door for the fused end of the switch and which door will automatically close when released and which will automatically latch when closed. lt is also desirable that the operator be able to release the latch y and open the door with one hand.

This latch is provided with a projecting opertaing handle and with means for sealing or locking the door closed. This latch is so constructed and mounted as to be readily operable by the lingers of one hand at the same time that the hand is used to raise the door,

' thus leaving the other hand of the operator free to remove and replace the fuses.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a construction embodying my invention and showing the door closed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view the door partially opened.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the latch and fragmentary portions of the door and box.

The box 5 may be of any suitable construction and is preferably provided with a cover formed in two parts, namely, the upper part 6 which is normally stationary and the lower part 7 which is hinged at 8 to the upper part and forms the door to the fuse chamber.

showing The upper part may be suitably secured to the Y same as, for instance, the handle 1l which L is pivoted tothe upper part of the cover.

The catch proper may be ,formed of sheet operating the same. The latch is also prefer-V ably. provided Vwith a perforated ear port-ion 15 for the attachment of a sealing wire, padlock or other locking device.v rlhe door is provided with a'slot 16 through which the handle and the locking ear are movable.

`The body of thebox is provided with a projecting stud 17 with which the hook 12 of the latch is adapted to interlock when the door is closed. rThe edge ofthe box is notched at 18 to allow clearance for the pivot studi?) of thelatch. A spring `i9 isinterposed between the inner wall'of the door and a portion'ofthe latch member so 'as to yieldingly bias the-latch toward the locking position. The latch is provided with an inclined nose 2O adapted to engage the stud 17 as the door is being closed so as to automatically retract the latch and permit the door to be closed whereupon the spring moves the latch to the locking position as shown in F ig. 3.

To release the latch and open the door it is simply necessary to rotate the latch clockwise as viewed looking down upon the latch so as to disengage the hook 12 from the stud 17,

whereupon the door may be raised by pulling downwardly on the latch assisted if necessary ordesired by the engagement ofthe lingers beneath the flange of the door.

kThis construction greatly facilitates the opening of the door and is of great importance in structures of this character where the door frequently closes and requires considerable force to ope-n it.

lt will be seen that when the door is released it will fall by gravity so as to automatically reengage the latch with the stationary stud.

I have shown and described the latch as mounted at the lower end of the box for the reason that this construction has the advantage that gravity tends to cause the cover to drop into closed position andthus cause the automatic engagin@P Y but the latch may die mounted at the upper end of the box if so desired and Without departing from the broad spirit ofV iny invention.

I claim:

1. A switch box having a door hinged I thereto, said door having a flange overlapping outside the edgesof the box, a klatch pivoted to the flange of the door, an inwardly projecting rounded stud carried by avvalllof the box adjacent one edge thereof for engagement by the latch when thedoor is closed, and a spring for automatically forcing said latch into latchin g engagement With said stud, said latch having an externally projecting operating iingerpiece, said flange adjacent said latch Vproviding a inger-hold adjacent the fingerpiece of said latch.V

2. A switch box, a door hinged to Said box and having a flange for overlapping outside the edge of said box, a stationary projection carried by the inner Wall of the box adjacent the edge thereof, a latch pivotally carried by said door and having a hook portion, a spring for forcing said latch into position for autokmatically engaging the hook portion with said projection when the door is closed, said latch having. an external projecting lingerpiece located adjacent the edge of said flange so as to permit simultaneous engagementof the lingers with the edge of the flange and the ingeipiece so that the latch may be retracted and .the door opened by the fingers of one hand. i Y

HERMAN J. HAMMER'LY.

movement of the latch, 

